Catholic Commentary on Acts 12

"It is my angel." (Acts 12:15)

James, Peter, and Herod

King Herod Agrippa I arrests some of the Church, executing the apostle James with the sword. Seeing that this pleases the Jewish authorities, he proceeds to arrest Peter and intends to try him publicly after the Passover. Peter is kept in prison under heavy guard while the Church prays earnestly for him. The night before Herod plans to bring him to trial, Peter is sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries at the door. An angel of the Lord appears, strikes Peter and wakes him. The chains fall off his wrists. He puts on his sandals and his cloak and follows the angel out through the first and second guards and the iron gate, which opens by itself. When Peter realises he is not dreaming he goes to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many people have gathered in prayer.

He knocks at the outer door. A servant named Rhoda recognises his voice and is so overjoyed that instead of opening the door she runs back to announce Peter is there. They tell her she is out of her mind. When she insists, they say it is his angel. The community has been praying earnestly for Peter's deliverance and cannot believe it has happened. The gentle comedy of the moment is preserved by Luke with the affection of a historian who was told the story by an eyewitness. Peter keeps knocking. They open the door and are astonished. He describes what has happened and leaves for another place.

The Death of Herod

Herod, furious at Peter's escape, executes the guards. Shortly after, he delivers a speech and the crowd shouts: this is the voice of a god, not a man. Because Herod does not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord strikes him down, and he is eaten by worms and dies. But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. The contrast is Luke's theological point: the king who accepted divine honour is eaten by worms. The word that cannot be imprisoned spreads and flourishes. No power on earth stops the word.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the Church was praying earnestly for Peter and could not believe it when the prayer was answered. The gap between the earnestness of our asking and the readiness of our receiving is one of the most recognisable patterns in Christian experience. Pray earnestly. And when the knock comes at the door, open it. Do not stay inside insisting it must be his angel.

Prayer

Lord God, you sent your angel to free Peter while the Church prayed through the night. Teach us to pray with the same earnestness and to receive your answers with less astonishment. And let the word of God flourish and spread through every opposition that would imprison it. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

12
James Killed, Peter Imprisoned
1 About that time, King Herod * 12:1 That is, King Herod Agrippa reached out to harm † 12:1 Literally put forth the hands to mistreat some who belonged to the church. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
 
3 And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.‡ 12:3 Literally seize Peter—now these were the days of the Unleavened; see Exodus 12:14–20. 4 He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
The Rescue of Peter
 
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
 
6 On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
 
9 So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.
 
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
 
12 And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying. 13 He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”
 
15 “You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
 
16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.
 
18 At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.
The Death of Herod
 
20 Now Herod was in a furious dispute § 12:20 Or had become furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. 22 And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”
 
23 Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
 
24 But the word of God continued to spread and multiply.
 
25 When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned,* 12:25 Or had fulfilled their mission, they returned to Jerusalem; NE and TR had fulfilled their mission, they returned from Jerusalem bringing with them John, also called Mark.

*12:1 12:1 That is, King Herod Agrippa

†12:1 12:1 Literally put forth the hands to mistreat

‡12:3 12:3 Literally seize Peter—now these were the days of the Unleavened; see Exodus 12:14–20.

§12:20 12:20 Or had become furious

*12:25 12:25 Or had fulfilled their mission, they returned to Jerusalem; NE and TR had fulfilled their mission, they returned from Jerusalem

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